PLANS UNDERWAY FOR 2ND ANNUAL MAYOR’S
FATHERHOOD SUMMIT

2007 Summit Will Include a Job/Resource Fair

MILWAUKEE, WI—On the heels of last year’s highly successful summit, the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative is finalizing plans for the 2007 Fatherhood Summit. Dubbed, “Beyond the 1,200: Healing the Mind, Body and Spirit of Fathers,” this year’s summit will be held on October 12 and 13 at Christian Faith Fellowship’s Destiny Youth Plaza, located at 76th and Good Hope Road.

“Getting fathers more involved in their children's lives is one of the most important things we as a community can do together," said Mayor Tom Barrett. "Last year's summit was one of the most impressive and encouraging events I've experienced since I've been Mayor and it is my hope that this year we can build on that success. We need to give fathers the tools they need to be good dads, whether that is employment or educational assistance, child support or other parental resources, if we are going to truly have an impact in Milwaukee."

The Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative grew out of a two-day training and planning session in 2005, held at the invitation of Mayor Tom Barrett. Twenty-five community leaders participated in this session to assess the potential of this approach with staff from the National Fatherhood Initiative Office. One of the outcomes of the training session was to host a conference in 2006.

One of the outcomes of last year’s summit was the need to provide a job fair and job readiness component. The planning team, led by recently appointed Fatherhood Director, Terence Ray, has been working with W-2 agencies, the Private Industry Council, the State Department of Workforce Development, and other agencies, to plan the job fair, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, October 12th. Another component of the 2007 Summit will be a health fair. Many men struggle with quality healthcare issues, which can become a barrier to active parenting. Local health care agencies will offer various screenings to include kidney, high blood pressure, glaucoma, vision, and HIV/AIDS.

The 2nd Annual Mayor’s Fatherhood summit will again feature workshops such as driver’s license recovery and child support. This year’s summit will close with a Town Hall Meeting featuring key legislators and a discussion regarding issues that keep men from taking an active role in a child’s life. For more information regarding participation in the 2007 Mayor’s Fatherhood Summit please call Terence Ray at (414) 286-5653.

Questions may also be submitted at milwaukeefatherhood@milwaukee.gov